What is tracking?
The problem of tracking traffic sources is important to any marketing process. Detailed data on the effectiveness of media sources is essential for decision-making.
A quality attribution system (attributing a conversion to the media source that attracted the user) is an important part of marketing channel analysis. Analyzing the marketing success of a website is a common task. There are many tools available for web analytics. For example, Yandex Metrica.
Analyzing performance is more difficult for mobile apps, because the app store stands between the user clicking an ad and installing the app.
AppMetrica allows you to comprehensively analyze the results of mobile app promotion and get real-time data on the main KPIs of your audience:
- Traffic sources.
- Conversions (such as app installs).
- User behavior in the app.
- Numerous project metrics: retention, number of active users, sessions, socio-demographic data, geography, app stability, and others.
Tracking with AppMetrica
- The user clicks an ad and goes to the app store via the AppMetrica redirect service.
- Then the user installs the app and opens it (the first launch is what is considered the install).
- The AppMetrica SDK integrated with the app informs the server of the installation.
- AppMetrica uses a unique technology for tracking installs by establishing a link between clicks/impressions and app installs — on both Android and iOS.
- The media source receives a notification (postback) about the conversion.
AppMetrica lets you track the campaign CPI (cost per install) and CPA (cost per action) and optimize them. Tracking is supported for any type of source: organic clicks, mobile internet ads, app ads, or offline ads with QR codes.
The post-click landing option is no longer supported.
AppMetrica can also help you improve the performance of your advertising campaign using deeplinks and post-click landings.
Since tracking can be flexibly configured, you can use AppMetrica to develop your own unique approach to campaign optimization and create new user scenarios with multiple postbacks and dynamic deeplinks.
Tracker list
You can view the trackers configured in AppMetrica under Tracking → Tracker list.
To edit your tracker, click the link in the Tracker data column. To edit a media source, click the Media source column link.
To view the tracking URL or go to the User Acquisition report, click and select the corresponding menu item.
The list displays the trackers that were active during a specified period. To find a tracker by its name or ID, click Find tracker above the list.
Using quick filters, you can select trackers based on:
- Their associated media source.
- Whether they were created automatically or manually.
- Whether they have pre-installs (only available if the list includes trackers with pre-installs).
You can also switch between the list of active and archived trackers.
A tracker is automatically archived if it hasn't recorded any app installs or deeplink events within 365 days. Once archived, the tracker's statistics remain available in reports, but new data is no longer attributed, even if the campaign is still active in the ad network.
If you select one or multiple trackers, a menu with batch actions becomes available. It allows you to archive or unarchive the filter.
Tracker deactivation
AppMetrica uses algorithms to detect and block various types of unauthorized tracker activity, such as click spam or click flooding.
Click flooding (click spam) is a type of fraud where attackers use software or other methods to generate large volumes of fake clicks or ad impressions, falsely claiming organic or paid traffic. This means that real users may not even see the ads. As a result, advertisers receive misleading statistics and waste their ad budget.
If your tracker data shows a high volume of clicks or impressions but unusually low conversion rates, especially in terms of app installs, this could be a sign of click flooding. Clicks and impressions for such trackers may not be processed. In the list, the tracker is marked with the icon. Hover over the icon to see more details.
If your tracker has been restricted and deactivated, you need to determine the reason. Discuss with the advertiser how to prevent this from happening again. Stop using the compromised tracker and create a new one instead.
If you didn't find the answer you were looking for, you can use the feedback form to submit your question. Please describe the problem in as much detail as possible. Attach a screenshot if possible.